Road and Bridge outlines maintenance priorities as residents press for long‑delayed paving and traffic fixes

Flagler County’s Road and Bridge manager briefed commissioners on maintenance operations and recent projects at the May 18 BOCC meeting, and multiple residents used public comment to press for additional work and tighter interagency coordination.

Brad Bond said the department manages paved and unpaved roads outside municipalities, with 23 full‑time positions and a mix of heavy equipment (motor graders, excavators, drag tractors and specialized amphibious equipment for canals and outfall ditches). He gave counts (about 117 miles paved and roughly 114 miles unpaved), described recent work (ditch cleaning, culvert replacement, Main Street milling and repaving) and noted ongoing storm‑repair responsibilities such as temporary pipes and material replacement to restore access.

During public comment, Raymond Royer and others said some residents have waited decades for paving; Royer cited specific cases of people waiting 50 years. Robin Paletta and other residents raised a traffic‑congestion concern at Old Kings and Old Dixie and urged coordination with Volusia County and Palm Coast for signalization or bridge widening. Commissioners and staff described funding constraints (large countywide backlogs for paving and stormwater) and noted that many projects must wait for right‑of‑way, drainage or funding to be resolved.

Joseph Golan (the volunteer 'Bike Man' operator) said his nonprofit repaired roughly 2,500 bicycles last year and is looking for a minimum of 2,000 square feet of workspace; the board asked Interim Administrator Adam Mingle to look for available county or partner space and to poll municipal and school partners about potential sites.

The board approved the consent agenda with items 7e and 7l pulled for separate consideration, and asked staff to report back on funding and rights‑of‑way challenges to better prioritize paving projects.